The horses are grouped together by tens, but before allowing them to start and to prevent false starts, the following precaution is taken. A rope is stretched across touching the animals' chests, the two ends of which are held by two men. This rope is called el mikbad, and el mikouas; and in reference to it the Prophet said: "The horse runs according to his race, but placed before the mikouas he runs according to his chance of a rider." Or, in other words: "In ordinary circumstances the speed of horses depends on the qualities of blood with which they are more or less endowed; but in a race success depends greatly on the skill of the rider, and not unfrequently a horse of the purest blood may be outstripped by a less noble animal." To each of the ten horses that have contended, a name is assigned indicative of his degree of swiftness. Thus the one that arrives first at the goal is called Modjalla, "taking away," because he takes away care from the heart of his master. The second is named el Mousalli, from the word salouan, "the extremity of the buttocks," because he follows the first so closely that the point of his nose touches the other's hindquarters. "I must positively be the mousalli, [that is, the second] if I consent to thy carrying off the first prize." The third receives the surname of el Msali, "Consoling," because he consoles his master, who is content that there is only one horse between his own and the winner. The fourth is el Tali, or "the Follower;" the fifth el Mourtah, "the fifth finger of the hand;" the sixth el Aâtif; the seventh el Hadi, "the Lucky one," because he has his share of success with the foremost; the eighth, el Mouhammil, "one who gives hopes," because he caused his master to hope that he might be among the winners; the ninth, el Lathim, or "the Buffeted," because he has been humiliated and rejected on all sides; and the tenth, el Sokeït, "the Taciturn," because his master undergoes the lowest humiliation without uttering a word—shame closing his mouth. Of these ten horses seven gain a prize, but the others obtain nothing. At the further end of the course a vast tent is pitched, into which the seven winners are admitted in order to shelter them, while the three others are ignominiously driven away.
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE CLEMENT AND MERCIFUL.
"We took part in the horse races. Though it was early morning the crowd was as dense as at the season of pilgrimage.
"Horses were brought from every quarter, but no one knows better than ourselves how to rear and train them.
"We arrived at the peep of day with horses whose hoofs were as hollow as cups. The stars had announced good fortune to them.
"They are drawn up according to the purity of their race. The noble is placed by the side of the noble.
"Among them is a black horse with robust limbs and adorned with a white mark on his forehead. When he feels the bit in his mouth, he dashes off, clearing the lines traced to indicate the goal.
"The star that shines on his forehead equals the brilliancy of Mirzam.[[53]]
"Then a dark bay with a black mane, endowed by nature with admirable qualities, with a sleek skin, bearing also a star on his forehead, and a white mark on the upper lip.
"Next a horse completely black without a white spot anywhere, but participating in the excellent qualities of the preceding.